Archives for December 2005

Let us remember that the life in which we ought to be interested is “daily” life. We can, each of us, only call the present time our own…Our Lord tells us to pray for today, and so he prevents us from tormenting ourselves about tomorrow. It is as if [God] were to say to us: “[It is I] who gives you this day [and] will also give you what you need for this day. [It is I] who makes the sun to rise. [It is I] who scatters the darkness of night and reveals to you the rays of the sun.” Gregory of Nyssa, On the Lord’s Prayer

Staying focused on today is often hard for us to do. It is a challenge to prevent our minds from moving into all sorts of imaginings about tomorrow and the future. All of this future focus, interfers with our ability be present in the present and causes us to fritter away today with possibilities that may or may not materialize at some point in the future. Jesus (in his Sermon on the Mount) reminds us, “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?” (Matt 6:27, NRSV) The constant chasing after and worrying about can actually increase our stress levels and cause health related issues which, in the end, can actually shorten our span of days!

Thankfully, Jesus, calls us to live differently. We are called to live trusting in the provision of God. Trusting in the provision of God is about seeking balance and striving to let go of our propensity to control the events and people in our lives. Jesus teaches us, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today. ” (Matt 6:34, NRSV) In Twelve Step groups, there is the constant admonition to live “One Day at a Time”. There is great blessing for us in living from this perspective – putting our future concerns in God’s hands and moving forward fully engaged in today’s business.

This is, however, definitely not work for the faint of heart! This business of “daily” life. Can we trust God for provision and let go of our imaginings and worries?

Gregory of Nyssa encourages us to use sunrise and sunset as reminders of God’s constancy and daily provision in our lives. These are consistant markers for us in our life journeys – day in day out. The sun rises and the sun sets. Days move into days, months into months and years into years. The consistancy of the occurance provides empirical evidence that we can ‘hang our hats on’. What are the markers in your life that serve as reminders of God’s constancy?

God is unchangeable – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Heb 13:8, NRSV) Can we trust God for provision and let go of our imaginings and worries?

Yes, with God’s help!

Amen.

As your Son, Jesus, taught us, we pray:

Our Father, which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day,
Our daily bread,
And forgive us our tresspasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
Forever. Amen.