Daily Lesson for June 8, 2017

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Psalm 8:

1 O Lord our Governor, 

how exalted is your Name in all the world!

2 Out of the mouths of infants and children 

your majesty is praised above the heavens.

3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, 

to quell the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, 

the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,

5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? 

the son of man that you should seek him out?

6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; 

you adorn him with glory and honor;

7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; 

you put all things under his feet:

8 All sheep and oxen, 

even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, 

and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our Governor, 

how exalted is your Name in all the world!

We're having a great week at camp, swimming in the lake, baking in the sun, and doing our best to watch out for chiggers.  Yikes!  It's all better than it sounds.  Trust me!  And by the way, we're already looking for next year's adult sponsors. 

The theme for this year is "Creation" and there is no better place to reflect on creation than summertime Athens, Texas.

Yesterday, we talked about all the various parts of the ecosystem around us and we drew a comparison of each individual plant or animal making its own contribution to Paul's metaphor of the Body of Christ, with each individual member having his own role and make her own contribution. 

I have been teaching the third graders all week.  I have discovered that third graders are serious theologians for about 2 minutes and then their legs and arms and torsos turn to spaghetti. Anyway, during the 2 minutes of serious theological talk yesterday, I looked out the window and saw the great big, beautiful magnolia tree that is outside the dining room table.  I remembered all the bees that has been busy pollinating its flowers yesterday morning around breakfast time. There were dozens of bees in each of the magnolia's big, white flowers. 

"The great big trees," I told the children, "depend on the little bitty bees -- and so everything in creation has to play it's own part to play."

These children are given to us with all shapes and sizes and varieties of gifts. Some will grow up to be steel magnolias, others mighty oaks, and others little worker bees.  I pray they grow up to accept and love who they are and what they're called to do. Every single one of them is vital and if even a single one of them were missing the world would be a lesser place. 

Even chiggers -- I suppose.