St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh

Midweek Devotion 6th July 2023

Led by Rev Calum MacLeod

I lift up my eyes to the hills –

from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

       Psalm 121

Let us worship God.

The reading is Psalm 65: 1-8

1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,

2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.

3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.

4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.

5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.

6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.

7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.

8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

Amen

Reflection

The poets of the bible make very powerful use of nature metaphors. For the prophet, joy at the gift of God’s saving presence is expressed as “the trees of the fields shall clap their hands” (Isaiah ch. 55) 

For the psalmist, at the coming of the Lord, “all the trees of the forest (will) sing for joy” (Psalm 96). Indeed it is in the psalms that the sounds of nature - the roar of the seas, a peal of thunder, the music of the heavens - are often referred to as being a part of the created order’s whole song of praise to God. That beautiful line from our morning psalm takes it to another poetic level

“you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy”

For the poet, the very rhythms of the day, sunrise and dusk speak out about God’s goodness to us, God’s love and providing.

The richness of this engagement with nature in Scripture should give us pause for thought as our generation continues to see  the world around us as ours for exploiting in whichever way supports our habits of consumption. It seems we have lost that sense of partnership with God in tending God’s creation. Of being stewards for God and for the generations to come.

A Prayer by Jan Berry:

God of creation, the earth is yours

with all its beauty and goodness,

its rich and overflowing provision.

But we have claimed it for our own,

plundered its beauty for profit, grabbed its resources for ourselves.

God of creation, forgive us.

May we no longer abuse your trust,

but care gently and with justice for your earth.

Amen

O Lord hear our prayers for ourselves and others as we join together in the Lord’s Prayer:

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 our trespasses

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation

but deliver us from evil;

for thine is the kingdom,

the power and the glory

for ever and ever, Amen.

The Benediction

Be of good courage, render no-one evil for evil,

but hold fast to the good; honour all of God’s people,

and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the love of God,

and the Communion of the Holy Spirit

be with you

and all whom you love

this day and for ever.

Organ music

Felix Mendelssohn Andante con moto (Sonata V)