Bethlehem Lutheran Church issued the following announcement on April 7
Dearest Members of Bethlehem,
“For you shall go out in joy and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” -Isaiah 55:12
Each and every day, I find a little time to get out and stroll around the neighborhood a little observing the rules that determine a safe and responsible social distancing protocol. It’s good to get some exercise and it’s nice to have the change in scenery.
As I was out on one of my walks last week I noticed something, so many of the ornamental trees in my neighborhood were blooming. There were pinks, and whites, yellows so bright they almost hurt your eyes. Big flowers with flopping petals and more delicate diminutive presentations, and they were all gorgeous.
About three quarters of the way through this beautiful botanical experience, I had a weird feeling come over me, a strange thought… shouldn’t these trees be holding off? Why in the world would these trees bloom now? Wouldn’t it better to wait until the “stay at home” order has been lifted and then these beautiful displays would be more in line our celebrations?
I know, that’s a profoundly silly thought… these trees, the natural world, and the seasons that we enjoy happen on their own schedule. We cannot dictate or determine when a blossom will bloom, they sprout and grow on their own terms, we simply need to have the presence of mind to receive the beauty they offer to us, when they offer it.
And… if you read scripture closely, you’ll get the impression that these expressions of beauty are not for our sake alone. The text from Isaiah suggests that mountains can burst into song, that the trees can “clap their hands,” in a moment of praise. That’s truly powerful, creation, by its very nature is busy honoring the Creator.
And let’s be honest, is there ever really a bad time to praise the Creator? Absolutely not!
There may be moments when we lack the inspiration to enter into times of prayer and devotion with the fullness of our spirit, and that’s okay. But, just do me a favor, if you ever find yourself in that kind of a situation. Just take a moment, settle your heart and mind, and look around. You just never know when or where you’ll witness gestures of unmitigated enthusiastic worship. And such inspired devotion can certainly be contagious!
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all this week, especially as we move through a unique Holy Week. we are certainly contending with some limitations, but the fact remains… the passion of Christ will need to be considered, and the resurrection will need to celebrate. And I trust, even amid the challenges we are currently facing, we will all be inspired to worship!
Question for reflection: What do you miss most about our communal worship times?
This week at Bethlehem:
Please be sure to check our website, our FaceBook “Get Connected” page, and our YouTube channel to discover the many ways we continue to minister to our congregation in these days.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Dan
Let us pray…
Gracious Lord, in your death and resurrection the whole world was transformed, we pray that you would bless us with with a new day in which we would discover your glory anew. We pray all this in our Savior’s name, Amen.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up