Day 34 – God created human time one day at a time
Morning prayer
Start you day with this prayer
Lord, take my hand and lead me on winding roads
Let me pick up the pebbles along the road and feel
The different forms, colours and textures
Focus my eyes on the grass – perishable but unforgettable
Prick my ears for the soft noise of the wind that blows
Fill my lungs with fresh air
(Silence)
Amen
Prayer station
Use this symbol to lead you in prayer for the day.
Symbol: A picture of nature or even of your garden
Think about how you can help each other in this time of lockdown to be more aware of God’s creation and the miracles that form part of it, wonders that we easily overlook.
Thank God for the work of God’s hands.
Reflection
Read this reflection on the text for the day.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! – 2 Corinthians 5:17.
The story of creation in Genesis tells us of God’s creative rhythm, of the speed of his creation process. God created at the tempo of one day at a time, and God formed, filled, painted and praised his creation.
God is the divine Artist who created for six days, one day at a time. And how amazing! At the end of each day God leaned back, looked at his wonderful creation and enjoyed it. God called his creation good. The big miracle of the creation story is that God rejoiced in his work and eventually enjoyed it with humankind.
God can help us to see the miracles in our daily life and to enjoy it. And how amazing that God wants to enjoy it with us! There is no rush. God invites us to live from day to day and to enjoy every day to the full.
This does not mean that we will be lazy or satisfied with too little. On the contrary, it gives us the opportunity to see the unbelievable miracles in the ordinary. We have the opportunity to see real miracles again.
Creator God, I cheer and rejoice with You in the wonder of your creation. I thank you that You created me and recreated me. Amen.
Liturgy for life
See the ordinary things you do in and around the house as signs of God’s care.
Remember to make your bed
My wife and I have to ask each other at least three times a day, “What day is it today?” Dates are less important than it would have been in the previous world. In a few conversations I had with people this week, I heard that they are struggling. People yearn for the known and a more normal routine or rhythm in this confusing time.
The format of these liturgical ideas for daily life will be changing a bit in the next week. The idea of these words was to give people moments in the day to experience God in the ordinary and the daily routine. To give new meaning to the things you would have done anyway. There is still a long way to go before we will be able to experience a “new normal” with children returning to schools and companies that will welcome back their employees. In the meantime, we will have to keep on living with the knowledge that these days, each one of them, are gifts from God’s hand.
In the beginning of lockdown we made a suggestion for when you make your bed every day. We want to remind you of this act and invite you to remember and pray these words of Genesis 1:1 every day when you make your bed, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty.” God created something out of nothing and God makes life possible. While you make your bed, ask God to help you to make new life possible from the chaos of this day and your current mood.
May you have a good day.
Children’s activity
Play with your children.
Wow! 21 Days of isolation. 21 Days in which we’re only allowed to be in our homes (or gardens) and can only go out for the most essential things like food and medicine. It can be a little rough! All the things we usually do during the day, like school, sport, church … are not happening anymore. It can really confuse you and maybe even bore you a little. These daily readings will help you to spend some time with Jesus every day in a creative and fun way. You can do these readings and activities by yourself, with your siblings, or with your entire family. Ask one of the grownups to post your activity on Facebook so that others can enjoy it with you. Tag it with #solitudecalendar #churchtogether
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In Genesis we read how God created the earth. From the smallest ant to the biggest whale. We read that God made everything good. A masterpiece. But God did not stop there. Just like God gives us a new beginning every day to appreciate God’s creation and to praise and rejoice in Him, God gives us a new chance every day to start from the beginning and to leave behind the bad things we have done.
– What are your favourite things in nature?
– What do you want to praise God for today?
Activity
Go outside or stand by a window and listen. How many sounds of nature do you hear?
Make a piece of art from nature elements like leaves, sticks, rocks and sand.
Picture this
– Think about every day in the creation story. Would you like to rearrange the order in which God created heaven and earth? If you do, what would you like to change? Would you leave anything out of creation?
– Use ordinary things in creation (like grass, leaves, fish, ants, birds) as the central piece of your creation today. Use any form of art that you would like to: dance, photography, videography, music, poetry, drawing, painting or a short story.
Record it and share it with us on social media with the hashtag #countdowndoodles
Thank you’s and testimonies
Share your testimony with us! Use the online form below.
Thank you so much for this daily inspiration. I read it every morning and evening and even listen to the bedtime story as if I were a child again. Sundays I listen to the sermon at 8 o’clock, and afterwards I work through another part of this calendar. Just in case I missed something and for extra strength and motivation in this difficult time. I miss the church, but I am grateful for this calendar.– Belinda Coetzee
Bedtime story
Bedtime story by storyteller Ewald van Rensburg