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Reflections

Welcome to the JCPC Daily Reflections Blog. Reflections are daily devotionals authored by JCPC pastors, staff and members and provide insight, guidance and comfort to help you make it through each day. If you’d like to receive Reflections each day via email,  provide your email address.

Friday, June 11 2021

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great. -Psalm 104:24-25 NRSV

This Sunday, we are singing All Things Bright and Beautiful, a favorite hymn of the church! It was written by Mrs. Cecil Frances Alexander, who wrote several well-known hymns, including Once in Royal David’s City, There is a Green Hill Far Away, and I Bind Unto Myself Today. 

Mrs. Alexander was trying to find a way to teach the Apostles’ Creed to children. This hymn focuses on describing God as “Maker of heaven and earth.”

All things bright and beautiful,

all creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

the Lord God made them all.

How amazing it is to think of everything God has created! From the intricate designs on the wings of one butterfly, to the number of galaxies in the universe… what are we up to now… two trillion? From a cell seen under a microscope to a star seen through a telescope! And then there’s the mustard seed…

It’s a tiny little thing!! But apparently parable-worthy! Only 2-3 millimeters wide, yet one little seed can grow 5-6 feet, produce greens, more seeds, and a perch for birds! The seeds themselves can be ground into mustard, added into salads, dressings, and other foods, and this summer, we’ll probably consume quite a few of those seeds!

Just as the tiniest seed grows into a great big plant, there are many places in the Bible where God surprises us with a paradox. Little David wins the battle against Goliath. Mary sings that the mighty are brought low, and the humble and meek are exalted. And the ultimate paradox: God comes to earth in the form of a man and pays with his life for the wrongs we have committed, conquering death through resurrection, and as a result, we have eternal life.

Knowing that our God works in paradoxes should comfort us. What this world views as strong and powerful could never be as powerful as God. And no matter how small we feel, we are part of God’s marvelous and abundant creation, and we are loved lavishly by God, as his children.

Prayer for Today

Holy God, open our eyes. Help us to see you more clearly. Open our minds. Help us to better understand how much you love us. Open our hearts. Move us to share that love with those around us. In your holy name we pray. Amen.

Posted by: AT 01:31 pm   |  Permalink   |  Email
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