Sunday/Monday

Genesis 2:4b-9 … the Lord God made the earth
Psalm 139:7-12 … where can I go
Luke 2:8-14 … good news of great joy
John 1:1-5 … the light shines in the darkness

In the beginning … when I close my eyes and imagine what our Creator saw, I no longer see chaos as black emptiness. Instead I envision a kaleidoscope of elements in ever changing patterns. Random sparks, droplets of water, grains of sand, glimmers of light in all the colours of the rainbow, bits of earth, rocks and minerals swirling around.

In the midst of this chaos, the One whom we know as Love – Creator, Word and Spirit imagined abundant life. Life began with love overflowing into space, ordering dark and light, and drawing together elements, atoms and molecules to order all that is. We often look at the world from a dualistic perspective – light and dark, good and evil, us and them. Life is not meant to be seen in two dimensions. Rather it is complex and everchanging.

A Song of Faith¹describes us as …
finding ourselves in a world of beauty and mystery,
of living things, diverse and interdependent,
of complex patterns of growth and evolution,
of subatomic particles and cosmic swirls …

Everything is intertwined. Nothing exists in isolation. Abundance does not come from collecting possessions or status but from loving God and our neighbours and caring for the earth. I trust that everyone from humble shepherds to mighty kings – each one of us – is held in God’s steadfast love and forgiveness. We are invited to respond in love and gratitude to the One who gives us life; to share that life with those within our circles, and beyond; and to continue to seek a deeper relationship with God and others.

1. Leffler

For Reflection and Journaling:

1. What is giving me life in this moment?
2. Where is God inviting me to go deeper?

Meditative Prayer:

Giver of Life, I give you thanks for your overflowing love
which opens possibilities for abundant life.
May my love be a part of bringing into being
the universe you imagine. Amen.

¹A Song of Faith: A Statement of Faith of The United Church of Canada L’Église Unie du Canada © 2006.

Week of Guided PrayerNetwork, Western Ontario Waterways Region, The United Church of Canada, 2018.