Welcome to Monday in the Pastor’s Workshop!
Last week we were blessed by Psalm 46. This word celebrated God as our Refuge, Strength and Very Present Help (vs. 1). It called us to “Be Still” and to “Know” deeply and fully that “The Lord is God”. (vs. 10).
I hope you had opportunity to move through the creative process with us last week. But more, I hope you were able to experience Sunday morning worship to see how it all came forward as an offering of ministry. If not, you still can! Just check out our website svumc.org, the “see and hear” tab and you’ll find this message, “An Outbreak of Grace”!
This week we’ll continue in our “Outbreak of Grace” series. We’ll be working with Psalm 121. This is called the “Psalm of Ascents”. It invites us to “Lift our Eyes”, knowing that where our eyes look our feet often follow.
Monday is an “Immersion Day”. It’s a day to submerge in the Scripture. Let it begin to sink into your mind and heart.
Read Psalm 121 silently. Repeat. Then read it aloud. Repeat that too! As you read and re-read, Listen. Listen to the words, the images, the phrases, the cadences. Listen to your thoughts and imagination. What is starting to stir? Whatever it is – write it down!
If you’ve got extra time and energy, Copy the Psalm. In fact, if you really have extra time and energy, copy it from several translations! Biblegateway.com is an excellent resource to check out additional translations of a Scripture passage. In the copying, does this open up any additional insights?
A third and final phase – for those who want to go a “third mile” – is Paraphrase the Psalm. How would you bring forward the meaning and message in your own words if you were the Psalmist? Again, any fresh ideas?
Monday is always the day where we open ourselves to the moving of the Spirit as it would open the meaning, depth and power of the Scripture.
I hope you’ve enjoyed your time in the workshop today. I pray it was productive. I look forward to learning together how “The Lord is the Keeper of our lives, our going out and our coming in, in these days and forevermore. “