Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that isin the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, along the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

  - 1 John 2.15-17

Victorious Brigid did not love the world:
she perched in it like a bird on a cliff.

  - Broccàn, Hymn to Brigid, Irish, late 7th century[1]

One of my favorite paintings by the still-life artist Philip R. Jackson is entitled, “Party’s Over.”

It features an origami bird perched on the stern of little boat made from a soap dish, a party favor, and what appears to be a straw. The bird has its arms raised, ready to leap into the air, and the straw on which it is perched is bent under the weight of its imminent thrust.

The first time I saw this wonderful piece I immediately thought of Broccàn's comment about Brigid.

The great 6^th-century Irish saint lived a most disciplined life, devoted to ministry and the pleasure of God. Her orientation was ever toward things that are above, and she was constantly, through prayer and meditation, engaging realities beyond this world in order to sustain her service in it.

On one occasion, as she was driving her chariot to some ministry opportunity, Broccàn described her “practicing the life of heaven on earth through meditation and prayer.” I love that idea: living in the then and there, here and now.

The things of the world are wonderful gifts from God, if we receive them as such, and use them as stewards in His service. But when we regard them as ends in themselves – sources of pride or means to happiness, as Solomon feared his son Rehoboam was beginning to do (see next week’s Scriptorium columns on Ecclesiastes 6) – they become idols that can never satisfy.

Celtic missionaries traveled light. Besides the clothes on their backs and the books in their satchels, they had few, if any worldly possessions.  And what they did retain was solely for the purpose of honoring God by serving others.

But wherever they went, they took the disciplines of prayer, reading, meditation, and singing, allowing them to maintain that heavenly orientation which sustained their lives and work.

We give thanks to God that He lavishes us with so many of this world’s goods. But our possessions can easily be the death of our service to Christ if we are not careful to maintain a heavenly orientation in all our doings, at all times.

This is the work of prayer and meditation, which, if we spread these out throughout the day, even creating brief oases for prayer in the course of our regular activities, we may be able to achieve the kind of heavenly orientation that will fit us for service and keep us perched on the brink of eternity at all times. We encourage you to take up the daily discipline of praying through the psalms, using the schedule provided below and on John’s Voices Together daily devotional.

The world and its goods are passing away. Let us perch here lightly, friends, ever looking up and seeking the things that are above, where Christ is seated in heavenly places.

Psalm 24.1, 2(Foundation: “How Firm a Foundation”)
The earth is the Lord’s, as is all it contains;
The world and its peoples He daily sustains.
He founded it fast on the seas long ago,
And bid gentle rivers throughout it to flow.

Impart to me Thy fear and Thy love around my heart and in my thought, that I may despise every carnal pleasure, and all vain glory of the present life; that I may desire earnestly to meditate on Thee, to pray to Thee, and to praise Thee forever… Litany of the Saviour[2]

Men at Prayer
The prophet Zephaniah had some terrible words of warning for the men of the Church in his day. But he also called them to specific action, action which held the promise of great blessing from God. We’ve prepared a very brief paper considering the message of this Minor Prophet, and we think the men of the Ailbe Community need to hear it. Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I’ll send you Men of the Church: A Solemn Warning, a Serious Call, and an Amazing Hope at not charge. God is coming. Are we ready?

And if you have not yet written for your free devotional study, Glorious Vision: 28 Days in the Throne Room of the Lord, please do so. Here’s a good tool to train you for the daily discipline of seeking the Lord.

Psalms to Pray for Today and Thursday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.161-168; Psalm 73
Evening: Psalm 149

Thursday
Morning: Psalm 119.169-176; Psalm 74
Evening: Psalm 150

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.