UPPER ROOM

Admin Mon 29 Aug 2011, 6:17 pm

Psalm 148:1-14

The Lord said, "Indeed, the whole earth is mine."

Exodus 19:5 (NRSV)

Today's Devotional
HAVE you stood on holy ground? Perhaps you've stood inside St. Paul's Cathedral in London, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, or the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. For some people, holy ground is a tiny white church in a quaint New England village or a church on the Gulf Coast that survived the hurricanes, a struggling downtown church or a rustic chapel.

Moses walked over a large area of holy ground. So did the psalmist who proclaimed the marvel of God's power and creation. The apostle Peter stood on holy ground at the Mount of Transfiguration and when he carried forth the message of Jesus Christ. From birth to death to resurrection, Jesus walked on holy ground.

But holy ground is not limited to places where religious events have taken place; every place can constitute holy ground. Did astronauts walking on the moon perceive it as holy ground? After all, God has created this marvelous world, the land we walk on, the seas we sail, the skies above us.

Because all that surrounds us is holy, we cannot justify abuse of the land or pollution of streams, seas, and skies. Nor can we account for the oppression of people or justify wars.

God calls us to search our souls for how we can treasure and care for all that God has given us. It's up to us to live as if wherever we are is holy ground -- because God is there.

Bruce A. Mitchell (Michigan)

Thought for the Day: For links to photos of all the cathedrals mentioned here, go to www.upperroom.org.

Prayer: Remind us, Lord, that everything you have created is holy. Forgive us when we abuse your creation. Amen.

Prayer Focus: To care for creation

The scripture quotation is from the NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2011 by The Upper Room, a ministry of GBOD. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce or redistribute without written permission from the publisher. Copyright © 2011 by The Upper Room, a ministry of GBOD. All rights reserved