stuff i think

Back in the little red Book of Common Prayers...

As I wrote the other day, I read a scripture or responsive reading aloud in the mornings as a part of my daily prayer. This morning, I read a passage that was relatively familiar with me, but noticed that as I read it, I had a tendency to rephrase portions...not necessarily changing the meaning, just the phrases...based on the way I always thought it had been written.

I grew frustrated with myself and determined that I would read it aloud over and over until I read it as the words appeared on the page. Second time through, I goofed it. Third time, ditto. Fourth, fifth and sixth times gave the same result. I must have read Psalm 139 out loud ten times before getting the phrasing right.

As I finished up, I began to wonder what portions of grace I live out incorrectly...rephrasing the details to the reality that I've come to know rather than the one intended by the author. What phrases do I insert in the story of my life that He never intended.

At one point, the Psalmist writes "If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

To me, that says that even times that I call dark are not necessarily dark in reality - those are the unholy phrases I insert into my own reality - it's dark, it's doom, it's hopeless. When I look more closely, I know that the real Word says "No, it's not dark to Me. There is no dark to Me."

Father, may my life align with your Word as written and spoken.

additional passage on the True Word rather than our projected words...

John 1
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[1] it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[2]
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13children born not of natural descent,[3] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[4] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.