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Hi everyone! I trust you’re enjoying this beautiful Thursday. My goodness, we’ve had some lovely weather this spring. We will need some more rain, of course, but I am enjoying the sunshine all the same.

This morning I started my day with a little reading from the hymnbook. Does that sound odd? I like to spend some time in that wonderful old resource now and then. Like any collection of poetry, it contains some “duds.” But it also has many wonderful songs that lift my heart, prompt me to worship, and stimulate my thinking as I reflect and pray. Some are very familiar and I can fill in most of the verses by memory. Occasionally, I’m surprised by one I’ve never seen before, and I have to read more carefully. That happens more often when I read the hymnal at church than when I do at home, because the blue volumes we have here at church aren’t the ones I grew up with.

Today I found a hymn that was completely new to me—though it’s a very old poem, attributed to St. Patrick, which puts its origins around AD 500. It sounds a little strange today, partly because it is so old, and partly because it’s been translated from Old Irish or perhaps Latin. It’s called “I Bind Unto Myself Today.” It speaks of “binding unto myself” a number of things: the strong name of the Trinity, Christ’s incarnation and baptism, and the power of God.

I found myself reflecting on this curious idea of “binding” various things to myself. I pictured Patrick and other Celtic Christians tying one of those beautiful Celtic crosses or symbols of the Trinity around their necks with a band of leather. Then, as now, people did literally wear symbols of their faith on their bodies. That, in turn, would remind them of the need to keep the truths of their faith close to their hearts and minds.

Lots of people today still wear crosses, Celtic crosses, and similar symbols. I’m not much of a jewelry guy, though, and I don’t “bind” anything onto my body when I’m dressing for work in the morning. So I asked myself, what does a hymn like this one mean for me today?

It occurred to me that though I don’t tie on pieces of jewelry, I do carry around a number of things that are valuable to me. I have a wallet with some credit cards and a driver’s license—the former allowing me to buy gas or lunch, and the latter giving me permission to drive my car. I have keys in my pocket, without which I couldn’t even get into the basement garage in our building, much less into my office at church. Of course, I have that ever-present phone, which makes communication possible and can be a source of information as needed.

Maybe if we were re-writing the hymn today, instead of talking about “binding unto myself” various things, we might speak about the ways we “keep our Lord close” and “bring Him with us” as we go about our daily business. (We probably wouldn’t talk about keeping Him “in our pockets.” ) 

What would happen if I reminded myself that today, God is the true Provider who supplies what I need, not the Visa card I carry in my wallet. What if I allowed God to be the primary Source of information rather than my smart-phone, and if I was as quick to listen to His voice as I am to pick up calls that ring on that handy-but-annoying device?  Isn’t it wonderful to think that ultimately my identity is not defined by a piece of plastic with a driver’s license number and an awkward picture on it, but rather by the fact that my Heavenly Father has chosen to call me His child and welcomed me into His presence because Jesus has put His mark on me? How amazing to think that I have been given free access to God in prayer, and that one day I will be welcomed into His presence, not because of a key on a ring in my pocket, but because Christ has washed me clean and placed His Spirit in me?

I’m not going to go through the day humming a tune about “binding to myself” a bunch of things, even though the things St. Patrick named are wonderful. But I’m trying to use some of the ordinary things that I carry around, that I keep close and value for their usefulness, as reminders of God’s nearness and all that He means to me. When I pull out my keys, answer my phone, reach for my wallet today, I’m trying to let these things become symbols for me of the truth that God is with me, supplying my needs, speaking, leading, opening doors, giving me a sense of healthy identity.

I don’t think I’ll try to put all that into a poem or song. (Neil, maybe you’d like to try??)  But it’s still been a good mental exercise. If you’re looking for something fresh to meditate on as you walk with God today, perhaps you’ll find that it stimulates your thinking too. 

Of course, at this point in the week, I’m also thinking about Sunday, and the next message in our series. This week, we’re going to spend some time in the story of Joseph and his brothers. You’re welcome to read the whole thing—if you’ve got some time to invest. (It’s a long one, running from Genesis 37 through 50, though you do get to skip chapter 38 and 49.) If you need to keep the reading shorter, I suggest focusing on 2 passages: 37:2-28 and 45:1-9. The passage in 37 describes how Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him into slavery. The passage in 45 describes how, having become a ruler in Egypt, Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and forgives them rather than punishing them. As you can guess from this preview, this Sunday we’ll talk about forgiveness.

Meanwhile, have a wonderful week. May the sun keep shining on you, and may you be conscious of all the ways that God is with you, shining His care and blessing on you.

—Pastor Ken