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The intent of Pilgrim Processing is to provide commentary on the Daily Lectionary from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. The format for the comment is Old Testament Lesson first, Gospel, and Epistle with a portion of one of the Psalms for the day as a prayer at the end.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

7 November 2012




"He is all."  What a wonderful truth but do our lives proclaim that truth?  Too often they proclaim something very different, He is part, or He is 10% or less.  The gratitude, awe, wonder and worship of our lives tells the tale of the tape. There are more reasons to praise God than His creation but that is the first thing we observe that draws our eyes away from self, so it is a wonderful place to start our praise.  We too often take this for granted, the change of the seasons, the infinite variety of life, both plants and animals, the varieties even of soil, clouds, water, and people.  We are to summon all our strength to praise Him and it is important that we praise Him with all our being, it raises us from the muck and mire of temporary circumstance towards eternity and it gives us new perspective and new hope.  Today, let Him be all.

How ludicrous that they should upbraid Jesus for healing this woman simply because it was the Sabbath.  She had been bent over for eighteen years in their midst and they either couldn't heal her or it had never occurred to anyone to even ask God to heal her and now she stands upright and their response isn't worship and praise but rather pinch-lipped criticism of Jesus for healing her.  It is amazing what we can miss when it doesn't fit our model.  The result was not simply healing, she glorified God, she knew who the Healer truly was, so how did the others miss it.  Can you stand upright today?  You have something for which to glorify God today.  If you glorify Him for something as simple as that, something you take for granted, what else can you do for which you should give Him glory?  Now He is becoming all.

Harmful and painful sores come upon people, the watercourses of earth are rendered undrinkable, the sun becomes so fiercely hot as to scorch people, and they don't glorify Him but curse Him.  Surely not.  I have no doubt of this, when things go badly the first person people blame is God, asking why He allows such things.  There is nothing in human nature that would lead me to believe the reaction of most would be any different than described here.  Finally, the kingdom of the beast was plunged into darkness, and people still cursed God because they preferred the beast.  We need to glorify God in all things lest we be deceived ultimately.  Where your treasure is…

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