Psalm 104:24 What variety there is in your works, Adonai!
How many [of them there are]!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creations.
25 Look at the sea, so great, so wide!
It teems with countless creatures,
living beings, both large and small.
26 The ships are there, sailing to and fro;
Livyatan, which you formed to play there.
27 All of them look to you
to give them their food when they need it.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are well satisfied.
29 If you hide your face, they vanish;
if you hold back their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
30 If you send out your breath, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of Adonai last forever!
May Adonai rejoice in his works!
32 When he looks at the earth, it trembles;
when he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke.
33 I will sing to Adonai as long as I live,
sing praise to my God all my life.
34 May my musings be pleasing to him;
I will rejoice in Adonai.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
Halleluyah! (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
Love That Creates and Sustains
In love, God created all things and rejoices in sustaining and renewing the whole creation. God created a rhythm of day and night, of seasons, of wind and rain--all bringing renewal to the world. God created a sexual desire in both the human and animal species to bring offspring, and assigned them a lifespan in order to make room for new generations. God saw that it was good and rejoiced in all that God had made.
Now, far down the road, God's good creation is becoming polluted. With good human minds ever inventing and innovating with new techniques and technologies--such as electricity and medical systems--over many years we find that we are polluting what God made good. We depend on it all. And it seems we're not able to retract or return to an earlier state.
While joining the psalmist praising God for the good creation, we puzzle to know how we can now be faithful in preserving what God intended to remain good. We might begin by joining a think tank discussion group where like-minded concerned people gather ideas and move into action.
Creating God, bless us with both will and ways to preserve your good creation. Amen.
E. Corinne Chilstrom, '84
Retired ELCA Pastor, Green Valley, Ariz.
Psalm 104:24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.
27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season;
28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works--
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
35bLet sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more... (New Revised Standard Version)
How many [of them there are]!
In wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creations.
25 Look at the sea, so great, so wide!
It teems with countless creatures,
living beings, both large and small.
26 The ships are there, sailing to and fro;
Livyatan, which you formed to play there.
27 All of them look to you
to give them their food when they need it.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it;
when you open your hand, they are well satisfied.
29 If you hide your face, they vanish;
if you hold back their breath, they perish
and return to their dust.
30 If you send out your breath, they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of Adonai last forever!
May Adonai rejoice in his works!
32 When he looks at the earth, it trembles;
when he touches the mountains, they pour out smoke.
33 I will sing to Adonai as long as I live,
sing praise to my God all my life.
34 May my musings be pleasing to him;
I will rejoice in Adonai.
35 May sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more!
Bless Adonai, my soul!
Halleluyah! (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
Love That Creates and Sustains
In love, God created all things and rejoices in sustaining and renewing the whole creation. God created a rhythm of day and night, of seasons, of wind and rain--all bringing renewal to the world. God created a sexual desire in both the human and animal species to bring offspring, and assigned them a lifespan in order to make room for new generations. God saw that it was good and rejoiced in all that God had made.
Now, far down the road, God's good creation is becoming polluted. With good human minds ever inventing and innovating with new techniques and technologies--such as electricity and medical systems--over many years we find that we are polluting what God made good. We depend on it all. And it seems we're not able to retract or return to an earlier state.
While joining the psalmist praising God for the good creation, we puzzle to know how we can now be faithful in preserving what God intended to remain good. We might begin by joining a think tank discussion group where like-minded concerned people gather ideas and move into action.
Creating God, bless us with both will and ways to preserve your good creation. Amen.
E. Corinne Chilstrom, '84
Retired ELCA Pastor, Green Valley, Ariz.
Psalm 104:24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships, and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.
27 These all look to you to give them their food in due season;
28 when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works--
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
35bLet sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more... (New Revised Standard Version)
The Luther Seminary
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Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
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