Feb. 12, 2021
A daily prayer during this COVID-19 crisis
During these difficult days, members of the New England Conference Board of Ordained Ministry are sharing a daily prayer based on the Revised Common Lectionary for the week. You are welcome to use these in worship or in your own devotions.
Today’s prayer
One of the interesting things about cameras and lenses is that they are capable of doing what human eyes cannot do. With the right settings (narrowing the “aperture” of the lens, or increasing the “f stop”), a camera can bring all of the parts of a photograph into focus, from the grass at our feet to the distant mountain top, in the same picture, all crisp and sharp. This is why Ansel Adams’ vast landscapes (similar to the above) are so breathtaking. Everything is in focus in a way that overwhelms our sense of perception. That’s how God sees everything: the near and the far, this moment, the past, and the distant future, all clear and understandable.
Human vision is different. We can focus on a nearby object or something far away, but not both at once. With our limited vision (which cameras can also emulate) we have to choose what parts of life will receive our attention and allow the rest to dissolve into background or foreground. In this new year, let us focus on the promise and not the pain. The pain will be there, blurry and providing context, but God’s promise is what delivers us, carries us through this time. We can see God in the future, welcoming us into a better life, or we can see God in our next breath, and the one after that, sustaining us in the moment. Wherever God’s Spirit is, let that be our focus, feeding our souls as we feast upon that vision, ensuring we will be spiritually strong for all who depend upon us.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in his wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of his glory and grace.
Rev. Thom Blackstone, Pleasant Street UMC, Waterville, ME Photo by sirdouglas, Morguefile.com