Introduction
The Congregation Council at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Beatrice, Neb., where I am serving as interim pastor, opens its monthly meetings with devotions. These are the thoughts for the July 2010 meeting. The Psalm is the one appointed for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost. The council read it in choirs—men and women.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Reading
Psalm 25:1–10
1To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
2O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
3Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4Make me to know your ways, O LORD;
teach me your paths.
5Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
6Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O LORD!
8Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.
Devotion
When I was young, I was a member of Troop 45, Boy Scouts of America.
Scouting was big in those days.
There were probably forty or so boys in the troop,
organized into four patrols of ten.
A bunch of dads served as scoutmaster and assistant scoutmasters.
What I loved most about scouting was camping.
We had a camping trip scheduled every month.
Sometimes we went to a campground,
but other times we went backpacking.
The Appalachian Trail ran along the ridges and valleys of the Appalachians in Lebanon County.
This is where we hiked.
We learned to stay on the trail, to check the feet of the scout ahead of us.
We did this for safety, because you could see loose rocks or fallen limbs.
We also did it out of respect for the environment;
it’s better for twenty-five people to walk on one trail,
then to tear through the woods and make new paths.
We learned the wisdom and safety
in following the path of an experienced and trusted leader.
The Psalmist invites us to follow the path of our Lord.
Our God marks his path in our lives with his truth and love and mercy.
He instructs us in the way we should go.
He leads us in humility to take the right path;
he teaches us his way.
He promises us that his paths are “steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.”
We’re invited to join our voices with the psalmist’s voice and pray,
“Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.”
Discussion
+ What do you see on the path ahead of us as a congregation?
+ What are the loose rocks and the fallen limbs?
+ Where have we wandered from the path?
+ What can we do as leaders to help our fellow members to follow on the path the Lord points out to us?
+ Which verse speaks to you personally? Can you share why?
Prayer
We want to follow you, Lord God, along the path you have chosen for us. Lead us to follow you in humility. When we stray from the trail, bring us back onto the path of your truth. Raise up in us a spirit of gratitude for your steadfast love and faithfulness. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son and our Savior. Amen.