Hildegard of Bingen was a Christian teacher, writer, composer, and spiritual visionary, who was born in Germany at the end of the 11th century. In the Roman Catholic Church, she is considered a saint.
Among her spiritual writings you will find this verse:
Be not lax in celebrating.
Be not lazy in festive service of God.
Be ablaze with enthusiasm.
Let us be an alive, burning offering
before the altar of God.
Hildegard was not one to believe worship and service of God meant solely a somber, ascetic lifestyle. She was “ablaze with enthusiasm” for God.
There are times in our lives when we need reminding that God loves us and wants us to celebrate the tender, sacred gift of our lives. There are times, too, when, whether because of illness, struggles, or sin, we have a hard time finding anything worth celebrating. God wants us to grow so we might be more likely to experience the joy of being in God’s presence.
One way we can do that is to say and pray everyday reminders that we have been called by called and are held in love and secure in grace. We can claim the words the Spirit spoke through Zephaniah to weary people:
The Lord your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing.
-Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV84)
Grace and peace,
Bob Guffey