Genesis 2, Psalms 3 & 4

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. (‭‭Psalm‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Reading the biblical texts for today, Psalm 4:8 draws my attention. Why? It intrigues me partly because my pattern of sleep has been irregular lately. The irregularity could be due to a number of factors—health concerns, financial worries, news of national politics, and reports of international strife, to name a few.  Presently, I am aware that:

• Trying to sleep with a cough and a runny nose is miserable.
• Resting in a “roller coaster” stock market feels unsteady.
• Finding refuge amid the crossfire of partisanship seems impossible.
• Hoping for “peace on earth, good will to all” among conflicted nations almost suggests naivety.

It’s enough to keep a person awake at night! On the other hand the brief verse of scripture above leads me to reflect:

• The Great Physician cares for me.
• The One who feeds sparrows provides for me.
• The Defender of orphans and widows raises me.
• The Power behind the rise and fall of nations “has my back.”

God, when I foolishly fix my thoughts and my heart on worrisome things, give me the awareness to recenter my trust in You and You alone. Then I will lie down in peace and sleep. Amen.

Genesis 1, Psalms 1 & 2

As I write today, I am wistfully aware of the disconnect between myself and the natural world. I have been confined indoors due to a winter cold, and I sense a bit of “cabin fever” within. Reading the opening lines of the Bible, I am immersed in reflections on the beauty, wonder, and mystery of the universe. I am happy my thoughts and imagination can take me outdoors, because my body is stuck here at the kitchen table—for the moment, that is.

“I am well enough,” I tell myself, “to venture outdoors.” In fact, I have planned an automobile trip of 150 miles or more today. I am very eager to begin, for I believe the views of earth and sky, lakes and trees will have a restorative effect on my soul. Sensing the God-created world and being in it almost always do that for me.

So I thank and praise God for these great books of creation—the Bible’s Book of Genesis and My Creator’s “Book” of Nature. May the Creator-God bless you, too, reader!

Kunz-Saile, Annedore. Creation, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN.  http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54262 [retrieved December 30, 2018]. Original source: Rich Lewis, Flickr Creative Commons.

Getting Started

Back in 2015 I read through a "chronological" Bible and posted almost daily reflections in a blog. (View that blog here.)

This coming year, 2019 C.E., I plan to join Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, North Alabama Conference (NAC) of The United Methodist Church, and others in reading through the Bible again.

My reading plan won't follow a "chronological" ordering of biblical materials; neither will it follow a "beginning to end" order. I hope to follow the reading plan as given on the NAC website, and I hope to post almost daily reflections on the readings to this blog.

I invite you to join me in reading through the Bible this year and in reflecting on those readings.