MEDITATION AT THE BIRD FEEDER

Psalm 84:2-4
Luke 12:6-7
John 6:37-39

I came home on Sunday after lunch to find a crowd of starlings and a lone mourning dove splashing in the snow melt water in the eaves of the garage.

The mourning dove and I are not strangers. Built into a corner of my deck is a bird table (flat, open bird feeder). I often see the same, single dove out there, usually sharing it with a noisy crowd of sparrows.

 English house sparrows and starlings are not native to North America. Brought over from England because immigrants missed their songs, both are often considered pest species. Myself, I have a kind of love/hate relationship with sparrows.

 There's a reason male sparrows are “bulls.” They are the bullies of the bird feeder. The males, in particular are very territorial and aggressive. I've watched them chase other birds away from bird feeders, and then they make a mess as they pick through and discard seeds they don't want. They're also really noisy, especially in the morning. Early risers, they often awake me before my alarm goes off at 5:00 am.

 Yet, that mourning dove is usually there when they're feeding, ignoring their personal squabbles and their attempts to drive it off.

 English house sparrows are one of the most common bird species in the world.  No wonder Matthew priced them out at five for a penny (copper coin).   Yet, as annoying as they can be, Psalm 84 tells us that even sparrows find a home beside the altars in the house of the Lord.  God welcomes them and provides a safe sanctuary where they can raise their young in safety and security.  In the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus tells us that our Creator is so lovingly aware of them that God even knows when one of them falls to the ground.

 I love those noisy, bothersome sparrows because they remind me of my humanity and my own flaws. At my worst, I am selfish, argumentative, pushy and irritable. Yet despite how unlovable I am, God still loves me, unconditionally and steadfastly.  God has a place in God's heart just for me.  And just for you.

Jesus points out that if God loves a common sparrow so much, we are worth even so much, much more to God.  God is so intimately interested in our well being that God can tell each and everyone of us how many hairs are on our heads.

 Like that dove among the sparrows, during winter storms and sunny, warm days, the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit is with us, even at our noisiest and most bothersome, loving and caring for us, no matter what. In John 6:37-39, Jesus assures us that those who have been given to Him by the Father, those who are followers of Christ, can never be snatched away from Him – never.

 So when we're feeling unlovable and unloved, when it seems like life is a blinding snowstorm or a deep dark night, we can find comfort in this:

 God's eye is on the sparrow, and we can trust, never doubt it, that God watches over us.



"His Eye Is on the Sparrow" sung by Selah

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHRISTIANS AND COFFEE BEANS

Image
1 Peter 1:17-23 John 17:14-19 Potatoes, eggs or coffee beans? Which are Christians called to be? We're going to find out as we explore what it means to be “in the world but not of the world” in today's message, “Christians and Coffee Beans.” Put three pots of water on to boil. When the water begins to boil, put some potatoes in one, eggs in another pot, and coffee beans in the third point. Boil for 20 minutes The potatoes went into the pot hard. After boiling in the hot water, they are now soft, easily broken up and mashed. The eggs, with their fragile shells and soft centers, are also changed. They are now hard-boiled. The coffee beans are different. While they look the same as they did when they were put into the water, they have transformed the water. The water has taken on the smell, taste and color of the coffee Jesus was not of this world, yet he came into the world to redeem the world by his death and resurrection an
Read more

OATHS -- GONE WITH THE WIND?

Image
Leviticus 19:11-12 Matthew 5:33-37 Even if we've never seen the movie, Gone with the Wind, we're probably familiar with Scarlett O'Hara's oath. Framed by the sunset, Scarlet raises her fist in defiance and says, “As God is my witness, I will never be hungry again!” In today's passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus leads us into a new understanding of oaths and profanity. Did the character, Scarlett O’Hara in the movie, Gone with the Wind , take the Lord’s name in vain when she made her famous oath? “As God is my witness, as God is my witness, they’re not going to lick me. I’m going to live through this and when it’s all over, I’ll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again. Leviticus 19:11-12 tells us not to take oaths, make promises that profane the Lord’s name, that is take the Lord’s name in vain. Scarlett’s oath is a profane
Read more

ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER

Image
"...  and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds...  " --  Hebrews 10:24  ( Amplified Bible) "Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing."  -- I Thessalonians 5:11 (NRSV)       To encourage means to:   give support, confidence, or hope to someone; give support and advice to someone to help them do or continue to do something; thelp stiulate development.  Encourage and building each other up go hand in hand.  Here are some ways we can encourage and build each other up which will in turn help us become healthy, thriving churches. 1.  Have high regards, great respect and favorable thoughts for each other. 2.  Be thoughtful and intentional when you speak.  Consider where someone is coming from and choose wisely your words. 3.  Be gracious.  When someone makes a mistake, be quick to forgive.  There's grace enough for everyone. 4.  Be understanding. "
Read more