Daily Reading: 27 December
(from www.christianaid.org.uk)
Great and small
Something to read
Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and women alike, old and young together!
- Psalm 148:7-12.
Something to think about
The worshipping community may for you be a large congregation of all ages gathering and growing every week. Or it might be a small group, sometimes depleted by illness, shift work, and bad weather. You might have seen great crowds flock to your church over Christmas, or been a little disappointed by the numbers. Sometimes you might feel almost alone in seeking to worship God.
Having looked up towards the heavens yesterday, the Psalmist continues to encourage us today, as we look around us on earth to discover an ever-present worshipping community. From the largest creatures in the sea to the smallest insects; from great leaders to newborn babies, there is praise of God to be found all over the planet.
Of course, it might not sound like we’d expect: I’ve never yet heard a fruit tree singing ‘Amazing Grace’. Even people might choose to praise in ways and with words that feel unfamiliar to us. But if we attune our senses to the sights and sounds, the vibrancy and diversity of creation, we are pointed all the time to a glorious, creative God. Our worshipping community is much bigger than we might think!
Something to do
Get creative with nature in whatever way suits you. You could take photos of the tiny things you find on a walk, record the sounds of the wind and rain, sketch the landscape, or make a collage with natural materials.
Something to pray
Thank you God, for the world you’ve made and all the sensory ways I can experience it. Help me stay connected to the rest of creation, finding my place in a great community of praise. Amen.
Today’s contributor is Rev Claire Jones