Today’s Readings: Psalm 41; Genesis 16:15-17:4; Matthew 26:17-25; Romans 7:1-6; Psalm 55
Lots of folks use different markers to gauge the growth or progress they experience during a given year. Some folks use New Year’s Eve/New Year’s as a time to look back over the past year and make resolutions for the year ahead. Other folks (like teachers or pastors) use a school or program year to both look back and plan ahead. I tend to use my birthday as that occasion. Given that today is my 41st birthday, I’ve taken some time to both look back and glance ahead. One thing that struck me was how many major decisions/commitments I’ve made during the past year. Here’s just a partial list of some of the decisions: I moved my political party registration outside of the two party system and became a member of a third party; I incorporated more “Green” practices into my daily routine; I become a vegetarian; and I shifted my paradigm for what it means to be church from a mechanistic to an organic view. It makes me tired just thinking about all of that. It also makes me think that it just might be possible to teach new tricks to an old dog after all! All of this makes me wonder what lies ahead in my 41st year. Technically, I’ll be beginning my 42nd year, but 41 sounds a little less painless right now. Thankfully, today’s reading from Genesis gives me a good principle to guide me in all of the years ahead. That principle is summed up in God’s words to Abraham when God says: “… live entirely before me, live to the hilt!” (Genesis 17:1 – The Message). Aren’t those awesome words! What I’ve noticed is that the older I get, the less worried I am about trying to make my decisions and commitments into other people’s decisions and commitments; I’m doing a better job of keeping my focus where it belongs – on my own attempts to live before God. I figure in doing that I’m hopefully setting an example to encourage others to do the same thing. I’ve noticed the more energy I spend doing my work (as opposed to trying to manage/manipulate others into doing THEIR work), the more likely I am to live my life to the hilt. Thanks for sharing the past year with me! Your prayers and support have greatly blessed my 40th year. Til next time…
Lots of folks use different markers to gauge the growth or progress they experience during a given year. Some folks use New Year’s Eve/New Year’s as a time to look back over the past year and make resolutions for the year ahead. Other folks (like teachers or pastors) use a school or program year to both look back and plan ahead. I tend to use my birthday as that occasion. Given that today is my 41st birthday, I’ve taken some time to both look back and glance ahead. One thing that struck me was how many major decisions/commitments I’ve made during the past year. Here’s just a partial list of some of the decisions: I moved my political party registration outside of the two party system and became a member of a third party; I incorporated more “Green” practices into my daily routine; I become a vegetarian; and I shifted my paradigm for what it means to be church from a mechanistic to an organic view. It makes me tired just thinking about all of that. It also makes me think that it just might be possible to teach new tricks to an old dog after all! All of this makes me wonder what lies ahead in my 41st year. Technically, I’ll be beginning my 42nd year, but 41 sounds a little less painless right now. Thankfully, today’s reading from Genesis gives me a good principle to guide me in all of the years ahead. That principle is summed up in God’s words to Abraham when God says: “… live entirely before me, live to the hilt!” (Genesis 17:1 – The Message). Aren’t those awesome words! What I’ve noticed is that the older I get, the less worried I am about trying to make my decisions and commitments into other people’s decisions and commitments; I’m doing a better job of keeping my focus where it belongs – on my own attempts to live before God. I figure in doing that I’m hopefully setting an example to encourage others to do the same thing. I’ve noticed the more energy I spend doing my work (as opposed to trying to manage/manipulate others into doing THEIR work), the more likely I am to live my life to the hilt. Thanks for sharing the past year with me! Your prayers and support have greatly blessed my 40th year. Til next time…
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