March 2018 — Page 4

Walking in the Jesus Way: A Lenten Journey — Day Seventeen

March 2, 2018 By Diana

Acts 7:30-40, The Living Bible

“Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an Angel appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush. Moses saw it and wondered what it was, and as he ran to see, the voice of the Lord called out to him, ‘I am the God of your ancestors—of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses shook with terror and dared not look.

“And the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground. I have seen the anguish of my people in Egypt and have heard their cries. I have come down to deliver them. Come, I will send you to Egypt.’ And so God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected by demanding, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Moses was sent to be their ruler and savior. And by means of many remarkable miracles he led them out of Egypt and through the Red Sea, and back and forth through the wilderness for forty years.

“Moses himself told the people of Israel, ‘God will raise up a Prophet much like me from among your brothers.’ How true this proved to be, for in the wilderness, Moses was the go-between—the mediator between the people of Israel and the Angel who gave them the Law of God—the Living Word—on Mount Sinai.

“But our fathers rejected Moses and wanted to return to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make idols for us, so that we will have gods to lead us back; for we don’t know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.’

We do this.
We all do this.
We reject the one
predicted by Moses,
the one who supplanted
Moses as
Liberator,
Leader,
Law-giver,
Interceder.

‘Make idols for me,’
I say to myself.
Dream them up,
dredge them up,
create them out of
the stuff of daily life.

That’s the ticket,
something tangible
and right here,
right now.

Will we ever learn?
Will we ever recognize
the Holy Ground
right next to us —
beneath our feet,
inside our spirits,
next to our hearts?

Walking in the Jesus Way: A Lenten Journey — Day Sixteen

March 1, 2018 By Diana

Psalm 19, NRSV

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.

In the heaven she has set a tent for the sun,
which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them;
    and nothing is hid from its heat.

The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
    making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
    enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
    enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
    and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
    and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover by them is your servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can detect their errors?
    Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from the insolent;
    do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Gold.
Much, fine gold.
The beauties of this world,
catalogued in praise of . . .
the law.

Yet, more than the law, I think.
Perhaps the Word is closer.

The word.

Carries with it
the power to . . .
create,
inhabit,
transform,
cleanse,
heal,
destroy.

And we, too, have words.
And I join mine
with the psalmist,
asking that every word
that pours forth speech
from my mouth
would be worthy
of . . .
the Word.