the song, saturday

Saturday, February 7

Come to Stillness: Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

         

Opening Prayer: O Lord, as we spend time with you and your Word this day, let us hear the words of your Ancient Song; and let us listen closely for the Song of God that rises in our hearts.  In Christ.  Amen.

                     

Scripture Reading for the Day: Psalm 98:1-9

Reading for Reflection:

 

The Voice on the earth was now louder and more triumphant; but the voices in the sky, after singing loudly with it for a time, began to get fainter.  And now something else was happening.

     Far away, and down near the horizon, the sky began to turn grey.  A light wind, very fresh, began to stir.  The sky, in that one place, grew slowly and steadily paler.  You could see shapes of hills standing up dark against it.  All the time the Voice went on singing.

     There was soon enough light for them to see one another’s faces.  The Cabby and the two children had open mouths and shining eyes; they were drinking in the sound, and they looked as if it reminded them of something.  Uncle Andrew’s mouth was open too, but not open with joy.  He looked more as if his chin had simply dropped away from the rest of his face.  His shoulders were stooped and his knees shook.  He was not liking the Voice.  If he could have got away from it by creeping into a rat’s hole, he would have done so.  But the Witch looked as if, in a way, she understood the music better than any of them.  Her mouth was shut, her lips were pressed together, and her fists were clenched.  Ever since the song began she had felt that this whole world was filled with Magic different from hers and stronger.  She hated it.  She would have smashed that whole world, or all worlds, to pieces, if it would only stop the singing.  The horse stood with its ears well forward, and twitching.  Every now and then it snorted and stamped the ground.  It no longer looked like a tired old cabhorse; you could now well believe that its father had been in battles.

     The eastern sky changed from white to pink and from pink to gold.  The Voice rose and rose, till all the air was shaking with it.  And just as it swelled to the mightiest and most glorious sound it had yet produced, the sun arose.

     Digory had never seen such a sun.  The sun above the ruins of Charn had looked older than ours; this looked younger.  You could imagine that it laughed for joy as it came up.  And as its beams shot across the land the travelers could see for the first time what sort of place they were in.  It was a valley through which a broad, swift river wound its way, flowing eastward towards the sun.  Southward there were mountains, northward there were lower hills.  But it was a valley of mere earth, rock and water; there was not a tree, not a bush, not a blade of grass to be seen.  The earth was of many colours: they were fresh, hot and vivid.  They made you feel excited; until you saw the Singer himself, and then you forgot everything else.

     It was a Lion.  Huge, shaggy, and bright it stood facing the risen sun.  Its mouth was wide open in song and it was about three hundred yards away. (The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis)

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself    

                       
Closing Prayer: Sing to God a brand-new song.  He’s made a world of wonders!  He rolled up his sleeves, He set things right.  God made history with salvation, He showed the world what he could do.  He remembered to love us, a bonus to his dear family, Israel—indefatigable love.  The whole earth comes to attention.  Look—God’s work of salvation!  Shout your praises to God, everybody!  Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!  Round up an orchestra to play for God, add on a hundred-voice choir.  Feature trumpets and big trombones, fill the air with praises to King God.  Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause, with everything living on earth joining in.  Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!”  And mountains harmonize the finale—a tribute to God when he comes, when he comes to set the earth right.  He’ll straighten out the whole world, He’ll put the world right, and everyone in it. (Psalm 98, The Message)