Advent, Day 25 (12/22)

As we anticipate Christmas after a season of paying attention to God’s presence in deep darkness, our bodies may sense the couple additional minutes of sunlight today. A new season is upon us – a winter season, a Christmas season, a season of lengthening days. In honor of this turning, enjoy Tara Sheperesky’s adaptation of Psalm 100 and its nod to our God who loves us “as the sunshine loves all the growing beings.” 

Psalm 100, Adapted Beside the River 

(by Tara Shepersky, a friend from West Linn Lutheran Church -- https://pdxpersky.com/) 

Little waves in the river clatter with joy, 

and alders wrap their green and yellow leaves 

around the wind. Every people of this good earth 

walks and rustles and swims with our Creator, 

and recalls how to sing. 

They know, and we know: the Divine cherishes us. 

She guards us as merganser guards her ducklings. 

Ki plays and instructs, as otter with kir kits. 

He loves us as the sunshine loves all the growing beings, 

and they love the light. 

We humans splash in the river. 

We sway with the wind and the leaves. 

We forget our fancy words, and we sing 

a song that means: Holy One, thank You. 

We sing to our Creatrix, who loves us always. 

Who has always loved us, and will love us until always. 

And we know how good we have it, we know 

how sweet is our belonging to our God.