a new song

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Happy Fourth of July. Today we thank God for our freedom and pray for renewed commitment to the promises on which our nation was founded. We're grateful for the work and sacrifice of men and women in the military, diplomatic and development sectors serving to protect freedom and expand justice both here and around the world.

Our reading today is a departure from our theme. The book is the Song of Songs or Song of Solomon. It belongs to the wisdom literature section of the Old Testament and is poetic in style. It's an extended love poem about the relationship between a young man and woman. As the Bible was being consolidated into a fixed text some scholars felt like it had no place in scripture due to its at times erotic nature. Another scholar wrote that the day this poem was written was the holiest day since creation. Some people see the poem as a symbol for the relationship between God and Israel and/or between God and the church. At any rate, it is beautiful poetry and I hope you enjoy it this morning.

God bless,
Sam

Song of Solomon 2:8-13

8 The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
9 My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
10 My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
11 for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
12 The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
13 The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.”