November 13, 2007

I. Readings
Psalms 30, 86, 123
Nehemiah 4:1-23
Revelation 18:9-20
Matthew 15:21-28

II. Selections
Psalm 86:11
Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name.

Nehemiah 4:6
So we rebuilt the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height; for the people had a mind to work.

Revelation 18:14
" ...The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you
and all your dainties and your splendor
are lost to you,
never to be found again.

Matthew 15:27
And [ the Canaanite woman] said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."

III. Meditation: Even dogs

Give us an undivided heart to revere your name.
There are two parts to our prayer:
the focus and the object of the focus.

If Nehemiah had not devoted
his whole-hearted attention to rebuilding the wall,
the stones would have remained a pile of rubble.

But attention must be rightly directed.
The admirers of Rome fixated on luxury, dissipation.
They were shattered when all that was gone.

Nothing but your way and your truth
is worthy of our undivided heart.
Like dogs that wait for crumbs

to fall from their master's table,
make us single-minded about catching
the truth that falls to us from your teaching.