Singing Praises take Four

 

We finish our week with the fourth and final verse of Praise to the Living God.

 

Praise to the living God, around, within, above,

Beyond the grasp of human mind, but whom we know as love.

In these tumultuous days, so full of hope and strife,

May we bear witness to the Way, O Source and goal of life. 

I invite you to re-read this verse.  It is as if it could have been written today.  It is good theology of God as a living force woven into our lives.  God who is part of each day.  God who is within you – around you wherever you go – and above.  God cannot ever be captured or contained but can be experienced.  I especially appreciate the last two lines – in these tumultuous days so full of hope and strife.

Did you catch that?  Full of hope and strife.  Often our minds want to fixate on one or the other.  Too often it is the latter, the strife.  We have litanies of lament of all that is wrong.  And then, unfortunately, if someone points out something positive, we can dismiss that person as being “Pollyanna” or “naïve” or out of touch.  The human mind, heart, and soul can hold two thoughts in tension.  Your mind, heart, and soul can hold together hope and strife – even when the two seem to contradict each other. 

 

Where do you sense hope today?  Name it.  Claim it.  Pray it.

Where is there strife?  Name it.  Claim it.  Pray it.

Now repeat!

The more this prayer posture forms a new neuro-pathway in your mind, the more you will notice that these two are not in contradiction, but is the way life has always been.  When we hold the beautiful mystery of both hope and strife, our witness can be more powerful to the One who is at work in our world today. 

Prayer: God embrace and empower me to be open to the ways hope and strife are both growing within me and around me.  Help me celebrate the goodness and work with You.  I offer to you today the pain and strife.  I pray I might be part of lessening the strife in our world today.  Take my life, O God, let me be; a blessing to all those I see.  Praise to You, O God.  Amen.