Carl DeLine

Day one, Week twenty one, Year 2017

Welcome to a time of meditation. The very act of writing and thinking through this process becomes a powerful moment preparing both your heart and your mind.

Today is a special day. I don’t really know why, it is just that I woke up laughing. It just felt good to feel my body roll over in bed and say, I am in my own bed. I like it. Thank you, Lord. Please share with us what you may be feeling good about today!

As I am sitting here, Facebook just sent a note to say we had 1800 likes last week! Wow, Praise the Lord.

Scripture (Take the next minutes to read the Scripture. It is important as I make reference back to these words throughout the morning): Acts 17:22-31 • Psalm 66:8-20 • 1 Peter 3:13-22 • John 14:15-21

Prayer: Lord, as I read the scripture I now know why I woke up feeling laughter. Scripture reminds us how when we are down you lift us up, when we feel crushed you are there to witness truth to us, when we lack motivation your Spirit indwells us. We know you not as a piece of wood or a charm, we know you not as a the wind passing us by but we know your presence that embraces us and allows us to stand in the integrity of your call to us. You have not abandoned us you have placed us where angels fear to tread and then you have placed Christ into our lives to deliver us to hold us in the moments of judgement. Thank you allow us now to meditate, allow us now to celebrate. And, yes Lord, if we are so moved allow us to sing out, to dance before you. Amen.

Music:

“All Things Bright and Beautiful”
“Morning Has Broken”
“Handel’s Messiah”

Meditation: I get it now. As I was following the prompts for music I kept being overwhelmed by something. I woke with laughter. I do that a lot lately. I am alive. I wasn’t sure about that. Even though I was breathing, even though my body was going through the motions it wasn’t really living. Then the scripture told me I was alive, that I was a part of God’s purposes. Then of all things Handel’s Messiah appeared on the screen. I listened to the music. That is what this is all about. God is alive. God is living all around us. I was being invited to join in the celebration. What an overwhelming feeling to know one minute I could be a piece of dust returning to the earth but instead I am a living spirit clothed in flesh with the capability to breath, to listen, and yes even as ludicrous as it may look I can join in the dance!

There is a work being done. It is God’s work. It is based on principles arising out of the personality of God. The Apostle Paul touches on it when he speaks. He says God can be known, we need to look in places and ways we don’t often find natural.

The Psalmist mentions in the midst of the testings and temptations of life God will not reject us. We bring our sacrifices, we bring who we are and God simply prefigured how and where we belong. Wow. In the impersonal world the Psalmist reminds us this is history that God keeps doing it. It is more than history it is the “gaschette,” the moment when life, faith and science all jump at the same time. It is so profound we are both amazed and amused. We can laugh, we can smile, we can celebrate all because we have received the invitation to do so.

And then Peter says go out and do good. Why? Why not! Why do we need a reason to care? Why must we defend our being created to do good works, to live as Jesus would? That is nonsense and yet this week I warned readers to be careful. People will use the label “do gooder” just to justify the lack of caring. It is the nature of God to care, to call us to jump on the train. I remember a time when a politician called. We had just received a train car full of potatoes. Volunteers came from everywhere to help us unload. We were giving the potatoes away to those who needed them. The politician said don’t you know how this makes us look? It looks like we can’t take care of our poor. I said, “soooo doooo it. Don’t let me stop you.” We are called to participate in the joy of caring, of reaching out, of lifting up those around us and then to simply join in the celebration.

The words of Jesus remind us. We will not be left alone in this venture. In fact with all those who will stand against you it often turns into an adventure. Remember the times someone reached out to you. Those of us wrestling with sarcoidosis know those moments. We know what it is like to have someone reach out to us, to lift us, to carry us, to move along side of us, to go the second mile, indeed to even go the mile in our place. There is reason for laughter. There is reason for joy. There is reason to know what we do fits. It is because we fit and we belong. Throughout my writing this morning I have been holding back tears. These are not tears of sadness. They are tears of release. Tears to know I am part of something far greater than I could ever dream. The music of the Messiah has been on the entire time I have been writing. Yes the message simply reflects the majesty of the presence of God in the redemptive activity around us. Please! Enjoy, it is a gift of God. Amen.

A Final Song