…surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life… - Psalm 23:6
I love the great liturgies of life, those phrases we speak over and again in the Christian life. Perhaps they come from the great liturgies, those, phrases of Scripture, prayers, or writings of the ancient teachers that constantly shower us with God’s mercy.
One great thing about these liturgies is how we bring so much of ourselves into them. Though the words are always true and the same, they change with us. As we allow the inflection of our lives to be read on top of these great words, we hear them differently. The phrase above, for instance, the beautiful reminder of God’s everlasting mercy and goodness from the shepherd’s psalm. There are times, we can say this phrase with great emphasis on the “surely” knowing that it is true every step of the way. In those times, we are enamored by an ever faithful God whose love we know completely. However, there are times in life when we say the same statement, but it seems more like a question: surely Lord? Will we ever be aware of God’s faithfulness, or God’s mercy again? Surely, it is following us all the days of our life? Right?
Perhaps this is exactly why the great liturgies of faith are so important. They remind us that even when we know the right words, we don’t always know how to use them. There are times when our faith is as sure and true as the sunrise, and there are other times, when we are afraid because the darkness is overcoming us. At all times, though, the great words of faith can be a reminder. Even when we are faltering or floundering, God, who sent his Son Christ Jesus our Lord is a light unto our path. Furthermore, we can allow the Holy Spirit to become alive, again in our lives, directing us back again to the sureness of our faith. The world is not always a place of nurture, and sometimes a place spiritual dryness. However, I am reminded over and again by the great liturgies of life, that when I feel the dryness of the world, there is an ever flowing stream of the greatness of the Lord, and I find it is the words of life that ring ever true.
No matter where you are in your faith journey today, don’t forget to stop and take a drink of the great liturgies of life, for they are a wellspring, an ever-flowing stream of the life-giving water. Praise be to God for his faithful and loving words that always rind true for us. Surely his goodness and his mercy with follow us all the days of our life!
Grace & Peace,
Sam