Seek him who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning, and darkens the day into night; who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth: The Lord is his name.
The Daily Offices of Morning and Evening Prayer begin with an opening sentence of Scripture, and each Office has its own set of sentences which can be read at different times.
Out of all of the opening sentences, this one is my favorite. If I were to give a reason, I think it's because this sentence sums up all we know about God.
Seek him – Scripture is full of places where we are instructed to actively seek God. We are often in pursuit, or looking for something, whether it be fame, fortune, or prestige. Over and over, from the prophets to the psalms and wisdom literature to the gospels we are encouraged to seek out the Lord. We seek the Lord in prayer, in worship, and in action.
Who made the Pleiades and Orion – We are reminded that God is the maker of heaven and earth, and of all that is, both seen and unseen. This is a reminder that, in the beginning when God created, the Pleiades and Orion were part of that creation.
And turns deep darkness into the morning – And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was. God is love and and light, and all that is deep darkness will be turned to morning light, for in him there is no darkness at all.
And darkens the day into night – God made two great lights – the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night – and there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. In God's creative powers we have been given both day and night for work and rest.
Who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the surface of the earth – Water is necessary for life. We were created in water. Water sustains us. We are baptized in water. Water is life-giving and the image of God pouring out water upon the surface of the earth is an image of a God of abundance.
The Lord is his name – On Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, I sit in the quiet of the church and prepare for Evening Prayer. During certain times of the year I can open the south transept door and the cool of the evening breeze enters in. Other times of the year I am able to watch the fading sunlight dance across the walls and altar as it streams through the stained glass windows. But all the time I am reminded that I sit in the presence of the Holy God, and I am reminded that he is the Lord and I am not.
In all we do may we seek him who is the author of creation, who provides our daily sustenance and rest, and who is overly abundant in his creative presence.
Blessings,
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