“…you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
You send forth your Spirit, and they are created
and so you renew the face of the earth”[1]
The above verse seems, at first, a stark reminder of our mortality. In it we hear the Committal “from dust to dust” and think of death. Preacher Len Sweet recently observed “One day, our whole life will fit on a single page. It’s called an ‘obit’”[2], which might strike one as a somewhat depressing prospect.
However, Psalm (104) gushes with life like streams in a mountain valley (:10). It is a song of praise, giving tribute to God for a wonderfully wild, beautiful creation. I particularly enjoy verse 26: The “Leviathan”, the great sea creature (perhaps a whale) that terrified ancient sailors, was created as God’s “pet” for the pure enjoyment of seeing it romp about in the ocean. The Psalmist would answer the question, “Why did God create the world” with the answer, “For the pure enjoyment of it”. God delights in creation and lovingly sustains it.
Len Sweet says about our “obit”: “We are writing that one page now”. On Friday Sarah-Jane read me the “obituary” of a woman, Beth, who was known as a saint in her home-town.[3] That “one page” was a window into a life that sparkled like a mountain stream, spilling over with blessing; “an excellent human being” who “exuded love and compassion”. You see, Beth didn’t write her “one page” alone; she was inspired by God’s Spirit, taking delight in God even as he delighted in her. This is the promise of Pentecost – God Spirit poured out on all flesh.
God Bless,
Sean
[1] Ps 104:30b-31, Book of Common Prayer
[2] twitter.com/lensweet/status/601611684516466688
[3] http://newcastleadvertiser.co.za/53919/gone-but-not-forgotten/#.VV7wMB72ONd.mailto