08-13-21

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
August 13, 2021
Scripture: Psalm 40:3
The LORD put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise for our God. Many people will learn of this and be amazed; they will trust the LORD.

Thought for the Day: We always think of January 1 as the beginning of a new year, but for families with children, youth or even college age, there is a sense that somewhere between mid-August and September 1st is the beginning of a new year. A lot of our culture focuses on this time, and it feels new for many people…and being new, there is a range of emotions to be felt.

It was the philosopher, Seneca, who wrote:

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.

There is something within the human psyche that does not like endings, even when the ending would be helpful and healthy. We like the known and the expected even when it is not serving us well.

For everyone who is entering into a new beginning at this time of the year, I pray for peace as new possibilities are glimpsed; I pray for trust that comes from a God who promises to remain with us no matter what the journey might bring; I pray for a spirit of joyful expectation as one steps into the unknown of the new thing.

The LORD put a new song in the mouth of the Psalmist. It doesn’t mean the old song was necessarily bad or not useful in its time. What it does suggest is that there is a time for a new song, one that is placed in the mouth with the expectation of being sung.

Prayer: Holy Lord, wherever my new beginning might be, I pray for you to provide me with a sense of peace and trust as a look toward what I don’t yet know. May the new thing I am doing be for me a blessing that will extend far beyond me. This I request in the name of Jesus, who was at one time the new thing happening in the world. Amen.

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