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New every morning is your love, great God of light, and all day long you are working for good in the world. Stir up in us desire to serve you, to live peacefully with our neighbors and all your creation, and to devote each day to your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

"A Liturgy for Morning Prayer," Upper Room Worshipbook

Used by permission from the Book of Common Worship, © 2018 Westminster John Knox Press. All rights reserved. This prayer appears in “A Liturgy for Morning Prayer” in Upper Room Worshipbook.

 

Today’s Reflection

The need to rediscover our creativity is more urgent than we might think. When we exile creativity to distant corners of our existence, our ability to perceive the things of God in our life and in the life of the world radically diminishes. Without creativity we are deaf to God’s call; what we are to be and do remains a conundrum. The truth of our existence lies in the heart of God, and if we cannot perceive the Divine Presence, we cannot make meaning of our days.

—Karla M. Kincannon, Creativity and Divine Surprise: Finding the Place of Your Resurrection (Upper Room Books, 2005)

Today’s Question

What helps you notice the Divine Presence? Join the conversation.

Today’s Scripture

Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

—Psalm 143:8 (NRSV)

Prayer for the Week

Creator God,
Help me discover my God-given creativity and find the sacred in each God-given moment.
Submit your prayer to The Upper Room.

Something More

Walk in spiritual wisdom with Will Willimon, Steve Harper, Patricia Raybon, and Kathy Khang, just some of the writers featured in The Upper Room Disciplines 2022: A Book of Daily Devotions, a trusted companion for personal prayer and study, and an essential resource for pastors and Christian educators for nearly 65 years. Learn more here.

Lectionary Readings

(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)

Looking for lectionary-based resources? Learn more about The Upper Room Disciplines.

3 Comments

  • robert moeller Posted September 3, 2021 7:04 am

    Nature, God’s creation, helps me recognize God’s presence. But I also think it is more complicated than that. It requires both my willingness to pay attention and God’s willingness to allow recognition. In other words there are levels of recognition from the general to the close up and personal and everything in between.
    Thankful that Ida did not damage or destruct where I live, prayers for those who were ihn Ida’s path.
    Am not 100% sure my daughter and granddaughters were not impacted in some way. The old adage no news is good news is keeping me afloat. I have reached out, but no reply. Prayers for recovery, restoration, and especially prayers for those who lost loved ones, family, or friends.
    Global warming / climate change is real and needs to be addressed faster than ASAP.
    Covid case have doubled here in a week, and while still low, only 20, it is worth our attention. Still too many who are not vaccinated or not fully vaccinated. The idea of vaccination surely is not what it was for all the shots I’ve been given since I was born. My class left first grade and went to a nursing home across the street where polio shots were given. Thankful to see progress in LA and MS helping those in need there, more help is on the way. Prayers for the people of the world in need of assistance for whatever reason or multiple reasons. These are very tough times for many.
    Will do my best to review NEM comments from this week. I’m back in early morning mode so don’t see what’s on your mind. That’s not comforting. Be safe, take good care. Thank You, Lord.

  • Julie Posted September 3, 2021 8:33 am

    i also see the Divine in nature and love to gaze on a large scene and then pick out an item to see more fully. This is a good way for me to approach the Divine, by reviewing God and his word in large vistas as well as noticing one word of the Bible or one aspect of God’s divine nature and meditating on this only.
    I add my prayers to Robert’s. Many in my area were affected but it largely missed my particular area as it stayed to the south and east and we are northwest of Pittsburgh. We are only a short distance away but the difference was enough to spare us while many pittsburgh area towns were badly flooded due to streams overrunning their banks. There are many homes and businesses affected.
    Prayers for Ally’s and David’s health and finances and loved ones in n eed, for Jill and her students and their safety from Covid, for Lou’s daughter’s mental health, and for Robert and Erich’s individual and realtionship improvement during counseling. Prayers for Marti and her staff. Thank you for your prayers and may God bless all who visit here.

  • Jill Posted September 3, 2021 5:26 pm

    Robert – that is a good point that you make – as I believe God gives us different levels of acute awareness at various times – some out of necessity, perhaps, and others out of pleasure. It may seem random to us, but He may be filling us when we don’t even recognize our sate.
    My time in the morning – being in His Word – this helps me get my mind and heart right for the rest of the day, so I will be able to recognize Him in the ordinary. Surely traveling to beautiful places…at the top of my list are the beach/ocean and snow capped mountains. Also, the sound of a meandering brook or stream.
    These past three days of practical normalcy (still the masks) have been life giving, spirit re-invigorating. It has been wonderful. The kids are great – at least the ones within the four walls of my classroom. My schedule – I think I will continue to like it. Still not thrilled with getting home after 4:00, but everything else gets an A+.
    Unfortunately I came home to find that Roger had gotten sick. He had been ok for 10 days. I need to tinker with his diet – one of his foods, I think. I got comfortable with him seeming to be ok, and got a little lax.
    I know dad would have liked to go out to eat this afternoon – but I just wasn’t sure how tired I would be, so I didn’t put the offer out there. Also – the numbers are climbing back up in our area, and I don’t think I am comfortable eating in a restaurant. My sister and her husband plan on going to dad’s on Monday – and I will be there too. We will grill out and play cards, I imagine.
    I don’t even have energy to take an evening walk. Just going to relax and watch the tennis I taped today. My two favorite female players faced off this afternoon. Too bad they met so early in the tournament. Will see who pulls out the victory.

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