everyone counts

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Goodbye Spring, Welcome Summer

Actually, summer vacation began for me nearly a month ago. I'm been fluctuating between relaxed and bored, sleeping in 'til 9:00 or so and spending a lot of time just sitting on the front porch.
Today I decided to greet the dawn. According to the movement of the sun and the moon, summer officially begins this afternoon, so this was the last sunrise of spring. I was still in bed when the first bird chirped, but I was on my porch with my first cup of coffee before 5:00am. Here are the notes I scribbled down...

Tuesday...as spring gives way to summer...I wasn't outside for the first bird's first chirp, but its still dark and the stars are just beginning to fade. I can still see the north star.  Wish I had a clearer view of the horizons. The air is still - very still. I wonder if birds greet the dawn in the winter? Because of clocks, I'm half way to work by now in the winter.
I just heard a dove join the chorus of birds. Doves must sleep in.
Do birds greet the dawn in the desert?
Late night people in cars are replaced by early morning people, but still the air is very still. I can feel cool air on my body, but there is no breeze. The deep blue changes to light blue, but in the east the sky looks more grey than blue. I can still see one star, and the birds are still chirping but I have to strain to hear them. More of a chatter, or chorus, no more solos.



I see a nice patch of the northern sky from my porch. The North Star has faded of course, but I know where it is.  I cannot see the east or west horizon. I hear more of man's noises now...but, hello there, a soloist near by, and now a sort of call and response. The east sky is white, but I cannot see the Day Star. I can barely see the lines on my paper. A dog is barking, 2, I think people are probably walking by their yards, but I haven't seen any people yet. I really need to experience the sunrise on the desert. Ah...two humans walking a dog, and a crow caws in the distance. A very slight breeze, the leaves on the trees are moving some. The moon is gone...I often see moon sets on the way to work. The stars are gone. There is a slight pink glow in the east. The rest of the sky is more grey than blue. I'm on my third cup of coffee and it's not yet 6:00am. I should hear the church bells soon. The baby across the street is crying. I wonder if my babies (Ethan and Tziporah) are awake. Shouldn't everyone be awake by now?  It's daylight now. I can make out individual bird songs, but can't identify what birds they are from. I know the Robin, Dove, and Crow. I had a friend, Mike Carlson, who was an expert on birds. I bet he'd know what bird was singing what part of the chorus. I see some birds flying by. There is a tall tree across the street. It is half dead. Birds are perching in its branches. I can't tell if they are facing east. the sky to the east is a pale yellow now. Two "Indians" are walking by and the church bells are ringing. 6:00am on the last day of spring. It will be summer by 2:00pm. Sun rise on spring. Sun set on Summer. The longest day of the year. Now that I can see I'll read Psalm 8. The sun is shining on the tops of the trees, they are glowing...Ah...there it is, through the trees, I can see the sun..."Here comes the sun..." didn't the Beatles sing that song..."Good morning Starshine"...isn't that from Hair. This is my 60th summer. It is the first summer in ages that I haven't been involved in Ministry. No VBS, no Tent Meetings, no Mission Teams. Last year we did the Wild Horse event, VBS, Back to School event, plus EV conference. We were looking to an active fall and winter of church growth. But that didn't turn out the way we expected. And I am still dealing with a sense of guilt over the failure of The Mission, and a root of bitterness concerning the EV church, Repenting. Summer is upon us, and I am looking forward to August and the start of a new school year. And that is all I wrote!

Friday, June 03, 2011

Psalm 1 - Trees



They are like trees, planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season and their leaves do no wither.

Psalm 1

I remember my first grade classes at New Covenant Christian School memorizing this Psalm...1989 - 1994. Most versions begin with the word "Blessed" which in the Hebrew does mean Happy - such a weak word. Happy! How about overjoyed? Ecstatic! Strong's says the word originally means to be level - steady. The Navajo talk about walking in beauty...being balanced...steady...level.
So, the key to happiness...to walking in beauty...is to do the do's and don't do the don'ts in Psalm 1.
I always had fun teaching this Psalm. There are motions you can do with it...walk, stand, sit...and a nice cut and paste craft of a tree beside a stream of water...a fruit tree which "yields its fruit in season". Ah, Trees, more than 3 columns of Tree or Trees references in Strong's. We could do a study on trees.  The Bible starts and ends with the "Tree of  Life".  Sometimes, when I pray for my list of people, or when someone asks me for personal prayer...I think of Psalm 1 - God Bless You, God make you like a tree!
The NRSV says we are blessed when we do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers, but instead we meditate day and night on the Law of the LORD, on the Torah, we are to delight in His law. I think the don'ts are easier for most of us than the do's. If we delight in the WORD of God, we will be happy? It's nice to know that the LORD, YHWH watches over the way of the righteous, except when we're not feeling especially righteous. Of course, we can "let ourselves off the hook" but quoting the verse "none is righteous, no not one." and cling to the righteousness of our Savior as our own. But that doesn't mean its ok for us to follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers. Not if we want to be "happy". I took Tziporah and Ethan for a walk the other day. Tziporah was hugging light posts - silly girl - I told her to hug trees instead. I've always loved trees...God make you like a tree today! God Bless You!

Seven Summer Psalms

Psalm 1, Psalm 8, Psalm 18, Psalm 19, Psalm 22, Psalm 23, and Psalm 36
The Bible I'm using is the NRSV, even though it isn't my preferred version - I've been partial to the NASB since my years at Roberts Wesleyan. My NRSV is "The Wesley Study Bible" which is part of the reason why I've chosen to use it for my summer devotions. And I like the feel of it. And the cover is forest green. Another thing in its favor. I'm also using Abingdon's Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. It is 5:27 AM and the sparrows have just started to chirp. Good morning world...God morning LORD!