Wednesday 7 March 2007

Today is simply an add onto the text from yesterday - from Israel's Praise by Walter Brueggemann.

As praise is appropriate to human community, so praise is appropriate to the character of God, for our praise is a response to God's power and mercy. Nothing more can be said to God. Nothing more can be added to God. Nonetheless God must be addressed. It is appropriate to address God in need, by way of petition and intercession. But address in need occurs in a context of lyrical submission in which God is addressed not because we have need, but simply because God is God and we are summoned to turn our lives in answer to God. It is appropriate that we should address God in submission. It is inappropriate that God should not be addressed. This is a God who evokes address of gratitude and awe, simply because of who God is.

We all have needs at various times of our lives. But...that does not mean that we will automatically address God with our needs. After watching someone like Bill Maher on his HBO series "Real Time," I've come to realize that there are folks who really want nothing to do with addressing God or thinking about God. But for people like me who count on our God to be exactly the God who rescues and brings life and transforms life and forgives without condition, addressing God is at the very heart of my way of moving through life. Even as I think of putting together these devotions, making a point of addressing God and being moved to see life anew seems fundamental to how the day will come together. Therefore, addressing God with words of praise is already to keep in mind the vision of God's Reign that is a part of the nature of the God to whom praise is directed. Praise is, therefore, the beginning of an ethical statement - words that come before the life that God calls forth from all who turn to God as the power of our lives.

Connection: When did you first think of addressing God today? Maybe it take place before you are able to say to are turning to address God. Maybe it is part of the fiber of who you are. It is quite vital to our lives within God's Reign to walk there even before we thing we are walking in God's presence.

O Lord of Life, we already trust that you are the one who will bring life and nurture life within your blessed Reign. Now we ask that you encourage us to walk there with you guiding us. Amen.