Thursday, February 25, 2016

Isaiah 41:17-20

When the poor and needy seek water,
   and there is none,
   and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
   I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
   and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
   and the dry land springs of water. 

I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
   the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
   the plane and the pine together, 
so that all may see and know,
   all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the Lord has done this,
   the Holy One of Israel has created it. 

Stream of grace

I am drawn to water. My ideal home would be near a stream or a lake where I look out and see the sun rise or set on the water’s face. I would watch as earth’s fiery star turns the deep into a pool of wondrous color and be amazed that I am alive and able to feel the moment, falling in love again each day with life and the One from whom every moment comes.

Lakes awaken stillness in my heart, but I prefer water that moves, a stream or a great river that rolls ever onward to the next larger river and then to the sea, pouring into the deep, the sun recycling each drop that the rains may fall, awakening the earth to grow green and alive with color … and hope.

Sitting by the water, listening to the hush of a slow current or the chatter of a stream tripping among the rocks brings peace.

It quiets and assures the heart of a deep mystery: Despite the dry, hot places in our lives, life-loving grace is always flowing from the Heart of Wonder to our hearts. And if we are quiet and watch for a moment, it just may flow into us and fill us so full that tears of thanks will water our cheeks with the grace of gratitude.

You are the stream of grace that flows through all time and space. The river ever rolling from time unknown through the times of our lives, slaking our thirst when desert days scorch joy from our hearts.

You are the spring of life rising from earth’s secret center, bubbling fresh in smiles of love, the laughter of friends, the beauty of this unspeakable wonder we call a world and the fresh joy of awakening each morning to a new day, a truly new day.

For all this, accept my evening praise.

Pr. David L. Miller

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Isaiah 41:17-18

When the poor and needy seek water,
   and there is none,
   and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer them,
   I the God of Israel will not forsake them. 
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
   and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
   and the dry land springs of water. 

Water life

I find my way back here again where water so often flows, hoping that the River of Love you are may awaken within … and a trickle may become a fountain … and a fountain a flowing stream. Only then am I truly alive; only then am I truly myself.

So, I come here to speak and listen through these faulty fingers that hit more wrong keys than right. It’s a fitting metaphor of this life where I miss the mark as often as not.

I get lost in the anxious details of living, gripped by longings I cannot still, aching to feel fully alive and free. And I am dry, thirsty to feel and know you in my deepest heart.

That’s why I am here, praying with these fingers, searching for words with just the right sound and rhythm that will awaken the flow of Love that you are in the depth of this soul. For I want nothing more than to feel one with you, the One I most need.

Millions before me thirsted for you and thirst now to be cooled in the deserts of living by gentle waters that still the heart.

I will not curse this desert of soul where thirst is all I know of you. For thirst gives rise to desire and desire to seeking and crying out to know your nearness. And it is in the crying out that I feel and know you.

My cry is more than matched by your ache for me. Could it be that you are as thirsty for me as I am for you? I believe it is true.

You are not content until I drink from the endless flow of Love that never runs dry, sitting still to hear the flow of living water from the deep pool of your soul.

You are a bottomless sea of Love, Holy One. And I? My soul is a pool of Love, replenished from your endless source each time I come here to sit with you.

Pr. David L. Miller