Monday, April 10, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
Psalm 97

The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.

His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth.

The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.

All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.

Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God.

For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.

The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.

Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! (NRSV)

Reflection

For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies.

Christ, our Lord, to you we raise
this, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale and tree and flower,
sun and moon and stars of light,

For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth, and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild,

For yourself, best gift divine,
to the world so freely given,
agent of God's grand design:
peace on earth and joy in heaven.

“For the Beauty of the Earth,” Folliott Sandford Pierpoint

As soon as I read Psalm 97, this hymn popped into my head. Spring is trying to spring in Chicago. Each morning, I notice more birdsongs, more green, signs of rebirth.

We truly are blessed with beautiful nature created by God. While a sophomore in college, I was required to take a science class called “The Geology of Missouri.” I was skeptical, not my interest, but had to check it off the list for my degree. It ended up being one of my favorite classes. We visited the Elephant Rock State Park, Johnston Shut-Ins, the Bonne Terre Mines, and many caves. Some of my favorite moments were when we would pull the bus over on the side of the highway and explore all of the rock formations — we found lots of gems and beauty. I was in pure awe on every field trip we took.

We are so blessed with the amazing works of God. And just like we need to take care of this creation, this psalm reminds up that we need to take care of God’s people as well. How can we bring joy to our neighbors and community members?

For me, this psalm reminds me to show God’s love and grace to both our earth and our communities.

Prayer

Creator God, thank you for the glory and splendor that you have blessed us with. Help us to take care of our neighbors and our earth, every step we take, every day. Amen.

Written by Briana Belding-Peck, Family Ministry Coordinator

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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