February 22, 2006

I. Readings
Psalms 65, 91, 125
Proverbs 6:1-19
1 John 5:1-22
John 11:45-54

II. Selections
Psalm 65:11
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.

Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, you lazybones;
consider its ways, and be wise.

1 John 5:3b-4a
And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world.

John 11:48
" ...If we let [ Jesus] go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation."

III. Meditation: How to conquer the world
Shall we destroy the man,
or let the Romans destroy everything?
We calculate which is the more expedient.

Instead we should follow your commandments,
which are not burdensome;
for whatever is born of you conquers the world.

We suppose we are in command,
that by cleverness and ant-like industry
we will control the future.

But we miscalculate.
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.

Confronted by your grace
our calculations
are in vain.